


First Impressions

by TheAmeriFin



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-17
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:26:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25343914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAmeriFin/pseuds/TheAmeriFin
Summary: On his way to Motostoke, Hilbert gets a good look at the Wild Area. He settles down for the night with his brand new team and thinks about just how different the place is from Unova.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	First Impressions

As different as Galar was, Hilbert had to admit that there were a lot of new experiences to be had. Unova was a bustling place with different cities that attracted tourists, like Nimbasa’s theme parks or the Driftveil’s ocean-side market. The trains in Galar were also far less packed than the excitement and bustle of the Battle Subway he was used to. The noise of other people was always a comforting familiarity to him, but as he traveled through Galar’s aptly named “Wild Area”, Hilbert found himself enjoying the sounds of nature much more than he thought he would.

Calling it a sprawling grassland would be an understatement. It was larger than even the biggest cities he had seen- something Hilbert didn’t think possible until that moment. A swarm of Butterfree fluttered by, eagerly aiming for the flower fields nearby. The flowers were a vibrant assortment of yellows, pinks, and blues that rustled as smaller Pokémon weaved around the stalks. Everywhere he looked, the area was full of life. Hilbert took a deep breath and admired how light the air around him felt. Clean. Quiet. Different. It was incredibly peaceful.

He could see the next city in the distance, past a small lake. Motostoke's clock tower ahead caught his eye- how tall and rustic it looked compared to the other buildings on the horizon. According to the directions Sonia had given him, there was a lot to do there, though he’d forgotten to ask if there was a Gym. If you could call it a Gym, anyway. It was more like a soccer stadium with battling. Regardless, the trainer was sure he would have to pass through to get to more cities and towns. 

Hilbert came out of his thoughts in time to see a Braviary soar overhead. He smiled and remembered his own team that he left in Unova. He had wanted to have a fresh experience with a new team of partners while he was here, and Professor Magnolia had been kind enough to give him a starter. The Sobble he picked reminded him a little of his first starter, Oshawott, though Sobble was much more timid and emotional. The poor thing burst into tears when it realized it was being picked, which caused both Hilbert and Professor Magnolia to cry as well. She later assured him that they were happy tears. He hoped she was right. With her endorsement, he and Sobble would be registered for the league challenge.

Hilbert made more progress towards the city waiting for him than he thought he would, but still the sun had begun to sink past the trees and beneath the horizon. It seemed like a good time to set up camp for the night. The tent took some fumbling around, but Hilbert managed to pitch it after some trial and error. He let his team out as he went through his bag to find the recipe book he’d purchased. "100+ ways to make curry", it advertised. Hilbert leafed through the pages, reading some of the names aloud as he went.

“Spicy sausage curry, seasoned curry, bitter bean medley curry… toast curry…?”

The page he had stopped on had a simple enough recipe and the book claimed it was something even beginners could make, so that’s what he settled on. Even if he didn’t know what toast curry was. To Hilbert, it seemed like a better idea than making something that was too spicy for him to eat. As he set his ingredients in the pot, his Sobble came over. It was a surprisingly tough battler despite its constant worried state. It climbed onto his shoulder and stayed there, carefully investigating the food that started to cook. Hilbert took a spoon from his bag and gently dipped it into the pot, and held it up for his partner. His Sobble looked from him to the spoon a few times, and for a brief moment he worried his Pokémon would start to cry again. Even his other Pokémon looked on worriedly at the interaction. They all nearly breathed a sigh of relief as the Sobble gripped the spoon and took a bite. From what Hilbert could tell, that was a good sign that the food was good.

As he transferred some of the curry to a plate, his Wooloo rolled toward him. He wondered if he would ever get used to that sight, both in terms of how cute it was and the fact that the sheep simply tucked in its legs and rolled like a ball. It came to a stop in front of Hilbert and he couldn’t help but smile as he patted it on the head. His last Pokémon, a Yamper, continued to chase around a squeak toy while barking with excitement. Hilbert had found out several days prior that Yamper would play with any round object that came it’s way. Pokéballs, toys, even Wooloo… he had gotten into some trouble for that last one, when Yamper chased an entire herd of Wooloo around a field. The dog had no shortage of energy for playing and battling, that was for sure. 

He put away the leftovers of the meal into a container, altogether content with the day. Hilbert did miss his friends and Pokémon back home, but there was no doubt in his mind that he wanted to finish his journey here before returning. There were so many experiences to be had and he had the feeling he’d enjoy each of them as much as he had today. Motostoke was waiting for him in the morning.

**Author's Note:**

> Just a short thing I did as a commission before Sword/Shield came out in 2019. It was pretty fun to write some first impressions of everything through a different protagonist's point of view, especially with how different Unova and Galar are. If you enjoyed, kudos and comments are highly appreciated!


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